Alcohol Taxation Review: A Bold Step Toward Reducing Alcohol Harms in South Africa
South Africa faces a paradox: fewer than a third of its citizens consume alcohol, yet we are among the world’s heaviest-drinking nations. Over 59% of drinkers engage in binge drinking, defined as consuming more than five standard drinks in a single sitting. This harmful pattern not only devastates families and communities but also imposes a […]
Four things we can do to tackle Cape Town’s waste problem
Nationally, waste removal services are unequal depending on where you live. It’s not surprising that suburbs and wealthier areas benefit more from regular waste removal than informal settlements and outlying areas. In Cape Town, with a growing population, the municipality is looking to address its own waste management problems head-on with a new strategy. The […]
Hands-on Learning Issue 28
Through the Hands-on Learning publication we hope to play a helpful role in synthesising information from innovators and implementers in civil society, supporting them to share what they have learnt so that others can draw from and build on their experiences. Spotlight on obstetric violence: Building a compelling argument for social change Obstetric violence (OV) […]
Learning Brief – Spotlight on obstetric violence: Building a compelling argument for social change
Obstetric violence (OV) refers to rights violations and abuses experienced by pregnant women and birthing people while accessing healthcare during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and in the postpartum period. This form of gender-based violence presents a significant threat to the global health of women and children. Embrace, South Africa’s first social movement for supported and celebrated […]
Learning Brief – Navigating change in complex social systems
Systemic change typically unfolds within complex social systems where interactions are dynamic and often unpredictable. Many of our most pressing social challenges – like poverty and climate change – stem from these large, intricate systems, making the path to meaningful change uncertain and non-linear. In these systems, behaviours and patterns are deeply ingrained. This learning […]
Learning Brief – Funding social change through trust-based funding
Community-based organisations (CBOs) are non-profits operating directly in communities, often with limited financial resources at their disposal. They tend to rely on volunteers, responsive to the unique needs of their community and often best placed to diagnose problems and identify solutions with residents. Many are financially excluded from mainstream grant funding because they operate in […]
The anatomy of a powerful idea
The Learning Lunch podcast explores ideas, approaches and social innovations – creating opportunity for non-profit organisations’ teams to discover what others are learning and space to reflect on what these insights might mean for their own strategy and programme implementation. Download takeaway instructions Civil society is a vibrant ecosystem of interest groups, activists, advocacy groups […]
What are policy windows?
The Learning Lunch podcast explores ideas, approaches and social innovations – creating opportunity for non-profit organisations’ teams to discover what others are learning and space to reflect on what these insights might mean for their own strategy and programme implementation. Download takeaway instructions In the world of policy change, timing is everything. According to political […]
What does tomorrow’s workforce look like?
The Learning Lunch podcast explores ideas, approaches and social innovations – creating opportunity for non-profit organisations’ teams to discover what others are learning and space to reflect on what these insights might mean for their own strategy and programme implementation. Download takeaway instructions In South Africa, over 3 million young people are not in employment, […]
A new social compact must put children at the centre of South Africa’s national development
When political parties agreed to form a Government of National Unity (GNU), they committed to an inclusive national dialogue with political parties, labour, business, civil society and other sectors. The goal is to develop a ‘social compact’ that would enable South Africa to meet the aspirations of the National Development Plan (NDP) by 2030. Adequate […]
